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Location notes

A very quiet rural foot crossing near to the village of Tattenhall on the Chester - Crewe line.

Railway type and traffic

This line is the mainline from Crewe - North Wales. Expect to see passenger trains operated by:Arriva Trains Wales using class 150/153/158/175,Virgin Trains using class 221/57+390.Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway trains use this line when the line from Shrewsbury to Wrexham is closed, and for empty stock workings now and again.Freight is sparse. The daily Crewe-Penmaenmawr and return ballast train will be in the hands of a Freightliner class 66. The Valley-Crewe flasks run this way when they do run. There is not much beyond this though.Railtours are quite frequent, to and from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Llandudno and Holyhead.

Please note that not all tours go this way though, some go via Helsby to Warrington, as does most freight.

Environment

You are in a very quiet rural location. There is a canal less than 100yds away, but I did not hear any noise from there, and you cannot see it through trees.On the way to the location, I walked through a field of cows, but I went back a different (and easier!) way, so you should be fine, as this is the way I will outline below.The nearest city is Chester, which is about a 20min drive away from the location.

Road directions

From the M6, junction 16:Take the A500 west towards Crewe, Nantwich and Chester. Follow this road until you come to the A51 just to the north of Nantwich. Now take the A51 towards Chester, through small villages, the last of which will be Alpraham. You will come to a crossroads with traffic lights. At the traffic lights, turn left towards Tiverton and Beeston Castle. Once you reach Tiverton, take the second right 'Huxley Lane' after the '40' speed limit signs, signposted Huxley. If you enter a '30' speed limit area, you are going the right way!Follow the road through Brassey Green, before turning left at the village of Huxley onto a road sigposted 'Tattenhall' and 'Hargrave'.At the end of the road, turn left towards 'Tattenhall' again. You will soon come to a small area before Tattenhall village, with a few bus stops, and an industrial area. There is a bridge over the canal and the railway. You should be fine to leave your car on the side of the road, or turn into one of the little cul de sacs and leave it there.

From Chester on the A51:Drive east on the A51 towards Nantwich, Crewe and Stoke. You will pass through a number of villages, the last of which being Clotton.You will come to a crossroads with traffic lights. At the traffic lights, turn right towards Tiverton and Beeston Castle. Once you reach Tiverton, take the second right 'Huxley Lane' after the '40' speed limit signs, signposted Huxley. If you enter a '30' speed limit area, you are going the right way! Follow the road through Brassey Green, before turning left at the village of Huxley onto a road sigposted 'Tattenhall' and 'Hargrave'. At the end of the road, turn left towards 'Tattenhall' again. You will soon come to a small area before Tattenhall village, with a few bus stops, and an industrial area. There is a bridge over the canal and the railway. You should be fine to leave your car on the side of the road, or turn into one of the little cul de sacs and leave it there.

The location itself is a foot crossing 15-20mins walk away. You can walk from the main road down a little path to the southern bank of the canal. Walk down the small path, and follow the towpath of the canal for about 10mins heading west. If you pass the marina you are going the wrong way.You will come to a little stone bridge over the canal, shortly before another marina. Just as you get to the bridge, there is a little path heading up a slope to a small wooded area on your left. Follow this small path up the slope and through the wooded area, and you come out right onto the foot crossing over the railway.

You can leave your car on the side of the road, or in one of the small cul-de-sacs towards one of the industrial areas. There is also a car park for the main marina just off the road.

Public transport

The Cheshire Bus number 41/41A passes the location.Once you are through the village of Hargrave, look out for the canal. Once you are crossing the canal, press the button on the bus, and the driver should stop just beyond the railway bridge. If you reach the village of Tattenhall, coming from Chester, you have gone too far. You need to get off before getting to the actual village, in the industrial area instead.

The village of Tattenhall has several shops (including a Post Office and a Pharmacy), 3 pubs, 4 restaurants and a doctor's surgery.However, closer to the location there is the renowned Cheshire Ice Cream Farm (opposite the southern entrance to the new marina) where there is a shop and a cafe. Also, directly south west of the location is the Manor Farm Shop and Old Ma's Coffee Shop on Newton Lane. Continue along this road and you will soon arrive at the hamlet of Gatesheath which has a restaurant, B&B and campsite known as Carriages.

Accommodation

Gatesheath has a campsite known as Carriages, this is a short distance away on Newton Lane.

Sun Compass

Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Tattenhall

The south side of the track is best on a sunny day. Between 07:00 and 10:00 you might be ok on the north side looking west, from 10:00-14:30ish the sun is perfect for trains towards Crewe from the south side. From then on, it is better looking towards Crewe, for trains to Chester.The bridge over the canal has a nice view over the railway, I would imagine it would be a very perfect morning shot of trains travelling towards Crewe.It is quiet enough that videographers will have no problems.

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